Breast-yoke



(No Model.)

G. VAN CAMP.

BREAST YOKE.

Patented Feb. 19, 1889.

WIINESSES.

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I Arms- T all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE GILBERT VAN CAMP, OF G INEVA, .IENNINGS COUNTY, INDIANA.

BREAST-Yoke SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,198, dated February 19, 1889.

Application filed September 4, 1888. Serial No. 284,541. (No model.)

Be it known that I, GILBERT VAN CAMP, a citizen of lthe United States, residing in Geneva township, in the county of Jennings and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breast-Yokes, of

which the following is a specilication.

The object of my said invention is to provide, te take the place of the ordinary neckyoke, a breast-yoke which shall be adj usta- 'ble in several directions, whereby certain advantages are obtained, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a perspective view of the forward end of the tongue or pole to a vehiele provided with a breastyoke embodying my said invention; Fig. 2,' a horizontal soctional view on the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. 3, and Fig. fl a vertical sectional viewon the dotted line il il in Fig.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the tongue or pole; Il, the housing secured thereto; C, a joint-block connecting the breast-yoke to the pole, which is pivotally secured in said housing, and D the breastyoke proper.

The pole may be the pole or tongue of any vehicle or implement and supports my improved breast-yoke upon its forward end, in the same location that the ordinary neckyoke is commonly placed.

The housing B is made in two parts, and is firmly bolted onto the forward end of the pole A. It has lianges a at the sides where it fits onto the pole, in order not only to make tlush what would otherwise be a groove where the ordinary chamfer is on the pole, but also to make the union between the liousin and pole more rigid and substantial.

The joint-lilloek (l is secured between the forward ends of the two parts ol.' the housin B upon a pivot-bolt, b, This pivot-bolt is su rrounded by a sleeve, c, which is slightly longer than the thickness of said joint-block, and the two parts of the housing can thus be drawn up tightly by means of the bolt ZJ against; the ends of this sleeve, and thus held Iirmly and rigidly in position without interfering with the horizontal movement of said joint-block on its pivot. This joint-block has a stem, C', which extends out in front of the tongue and serves as a support for the breastyoke proper. This stem is also surrounded by a sleeve, c', and the nut c2 can be drawn up tightly against the end of the sleeve without interfering1 with thepivoting of the breastyoke on this stem, said sleeve being also slightly longer than the distance through that portion of the breast-yoke through which it passes.

The breast-yoke proper consists substantially of a base and two arms, the base being preferably a casting and the arms of ordinary gas-pipe bent into substantially the form shown. The stem (3 passes through the base portion, as just described, and the arms eX- tend out from the base on each side of this stem to a proper distance to bring them in the proper position .in front of the animals. They are preferably united by a cross-bar, d, which serves to stiften them and bring the strain in turning on bot-h the joints between them and the base portioninstead of, as would many times be the case, on one only. Upon the outer ends of the arms are preferably small castings d', and these are formed to receive the breast straps or chains from the harness of the animals. Staples d2 are preferably provided for use with breast-straps, and rings d serve better when breast-chains are. employed. f

All the castings used in this device,includ ing the housing, the jointdalock, the base portion of the yoke, and the small castings on the ends of the arms, are preferably ol' malleable iron, while the arms themselves, before stated, are generally gas-pipe.

This device intended not only to swivel on the stem of the ljoint-block, but to move sidewise upon the pivot-bolt h, when desired, and provision has also been made to hold the device to one side or the other in either/of the positions indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2,to compensate for side draft, when it exists, which, as will be readily understood by those familiar with such matters, is often of considerable advrftntage. In order to provide for these varying positions, including the holding of the device in line with the tongue when IOO desired, I have provided a hole in the rear end of the joint-block C, anda corresponding hole through the housing, through which a pin, b', may be inserted, which will pass either through the hole in the joint-block C or to one side of it, as may be desired. It is sometimes desirable to allow a free movement of this device on its pivot, and in order to provide conveniently for all these varying conditions, and also to prevent dust and dirt from entering the hole for -this pin, l have given said pin a peculiar construction. shown most plainly in Fig. 23, the head is elongated, and is provided with a small lug or projection, h2, onv its under side :far enough from the pin proper to extend entirely beyond the joint-block C, andthe housing has a second hole a corresponding distance from the hole in which lthe pin is ordinarily placed. lVhen it is desired to permit the j oint-block to move treely on its pivot, the pin is reversed and inserted in the second hole, while the small lug or projection fits into and stops up the upper portion of the first hole, as will be readily understood. lVhen it is desired to have the stem in line with the pole, the pin is passed through the hole in the j oint-block, as shown by the full lines. Vhen it is desired to provide for side draft, the pin is placed in the same position; but the joint-block has .first been moved to one side, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isM

1. The combination, in a breast-yoke, of a joint-block mounted pivotally in a housing` upon the end of the tongue or pole, and the breast-yoke proper mounted and adapted io swivel upon a stem forming part ot' said jointblock.

2. The combination, in a breast-yoke, of a housing secured to the end of the pole, and a joint block supporting' the yoke mounted therein on a pivot-bolt, and a sleeve surrounding said pivot-bolt slightly longer than the thickness of said joint-block, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in a breast-yoke, of a joint-block secured to the tongue, the stein portion of which extends through the base portion of the neck-yoke proper, said stern portion being surrounded by a sleeve slightly longer than the distance through the portion through which it extends, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a breast-yoke adapted to move pivotally upon the end of the pole or tongue, and a pin whereby it mayV upon occasion be secured to position, said pin be-y ing` provided with a small projection upon one side of its head, whereby by 'reversing said pin said movable portion may be either left free or secured rigidly in position and' the openings for the pin at the same time kept covered, substantially as set forth.

The combination of the pole A, the hou-sing B, the joint-block C, and the breast-:yoke proper, D, said several parts being constructed and operating substantially as show-n and described.

6. The combination of the pole, aA housing thereon, and a breast-yoke secured in said housing, that 4 portion which connects the breast-yoke to the housing having a rearward projection, and the housing having an opening larger than said projection, and a pin adapted to pass down through said housing and either through or alongside said proj ection, thus securing the breast-yoke either directly in line with the pole or to one side thereof, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this Sist day of August, A. D. 1888.

GILBERT vAAT CAMP. [n s] lVitnesses:

C. BRADFORD, F. W. Woon. 

